Insect Tamer's Ascension Chapter 521. It will be a mystery
"This will be one of the easiest trials in this whole practice."
Among the group of five making their way toward the eastern beast grounds, one of them spoke so casually that everyone’s attention immediately shifted to him.
"And how do you think we can achieve that?" Varelya asked with that same cold expression on her face.
But beyond that, Theo noticed a slight increase in her favourability toward him since the practice.
And among all of them, Saevra was the only one who still looked nervous after what had happened earlier. It seemed as if Velra’s words had affected her deeply.
"Have you not seen my arena battles, Miss Varelay?" Theo asked with a smile, only for Varelya to shake her head.
"I have no need to study my opponents. I can defeat them without knowing anything about them," she replied. Her voice remained cold, but there was clear haughtiness in it as well.
"I see. Then you will find out once we get there."
Varelya gritted her teeth at him while Osric looked at Theo with a knowing smile. He already knew what Theo was planning.
As for Rhevard, Theo had begun to realize something about him.
Rhevard wasn’t silent because he didn’t like to speak much or something. According to Theo, he was simply shy, though his face never showed it.
Theo had noticed the stiffness in his movement and the uncertainty in his eyes from time to time.
Now only the practical trial remained, where Theo would finally find out whether Rhevard was truly shy or simply didn’t care.
Soon, they finally reached the eastern beast grounds, and that was where Theo was greeted by a sight far more astonishing than he had been expecting.
The eastern beast grounds were located deep within the eastern side of the academy but in a relatively deeper part than the forest they usually trained in.
It almost felt as though the place had been hidden from the students until they were deemed worth enough to be allowed an entry.
And Theo could see why when they entered the area; the first thing they saw was a long line of cages stretching across the area. All of them seemed to be made from the same dark material.
Inside them were beasts of every kind imaginable, some inhumanely confined within tiny sections built into the larger cages.
As Theo drew closer, he finally realized what the larger cages truly were. They were massive kennels with central entryways connected to countless smaller compartments holding all sorts of creatures.
As Theo approached, he saw one of them contained a crimson-colored beast that resembled a rhino from afar. It had the same eyes these creatures all shared, whether rhino, elephant, or otherwise.
After looking at all sorts of animals inside the kennels, some crying to be freed, others merely resting in silence, Theo found himself at a loss for words.
"They’ve got some really rare beasts here. Maybe I could buy a few for my family someday..." Osric muttered while glancing around excitedly.
Soon, they spotted Velra along with a few assistants standing near what looked like a giant forest.
Theo had noticed the trees from a distance, but only upon getting closer did he realize their sheer size.
It wasn’t the branches or the leaves that stood out the most, but the trunks themselves, thick enough to be considered towering pillars.
"You are here, parts of the carriage," the professor spoke, making several of them sigh.
"I didn’t hear a ’yes’!" he roared the next moment, making all five of them shout in unison.
Only then did Velra nod with a grin.
The professor then pointed behind them and then toward the ground, where several familiar ropes had been placed.
"All five of you will enter this forest, and by dawn, I want you to capture as many creatures as possible without killing or injuring them. Understood?!" he shouted.
Theo didn’t particularly mind the task, but the others clearly didn’t share the same thought.
Varelya raised her hand and waited for the professor to acknowledge her.
"If you have the confidence, then speak without these shenanigans. Don’t waste time." Velra said with the same intense tone.
Varelya had grown used to it by now. She nodded before speaking.
"Professor, we don’t know how to capture beasts. No class has taught us that yet. Could you at least help us know how to do it?" she asked, making Velra simply stare at her.
Then he started walking forward with a wide smile and equally wide eyes. By now, Theo had already realized that Velra wasn’t intentionally widening them; his eyes were simply naturally like that.
But instead of stopping in front of Varelya, Velra walked straight toward Theo and stopped just inches away from him.
"This one here," he said. "He has the experience I want to test. He will be teaching you how it’s done. You got that?!" he shouted directly into Theo’s face.
Theo half expected spit to land on his face, but thankfully, none did. And he felt oddly relieved. The last thing he wanted was for his irritation to flare up enough for the mantis to slice the man’s head clean off.
Everyone shouted in unison, and Velra finally stepped aside.
"Now get out already! We will meet again at dawn, and your fate will depend on how many beasts you capture alive and uninjured. If you don’t have any more questions, then get away from my sight."
As soon as he finished, everyone began heading toward the forest.
"Wait, everyone," Theo called out, unsure whether to laugh or cry. "We will be using these ropes to capture the beasts, so carry them with you."
The four returned under the professor’s watchful gaze and moved closer.
"Take two of the smaller ones and two of the thicker ones. Which ones we use will depend on the type of beast we encounter in the forest," Theo explained.
While they picked the ropes, he shifted his gaze toward the professor, only to find Velra already staring at him.
"Professor Velra, what kind of beasts live in this forest? Or is that a mystery too?" Theo asked with a faint smile. The others thought he was crazy for speaking to a professor like that.
Yet Velra merely grinned and, much to their surprise, looked pleased instead.
"Mystery."